Swatter



W. l` CROYLIE Aug. v 7, 1923.

SWATTER Filed March 24, 1922 i Pm;

02o in o ittatented Aug, '7, i923 lll lil l WILLIAM CROYLE, UFHEILVOD, PENNSYLVNA.

To @ZZ 207mm it may concern:

Be it known that vWILLIAM l. CROYLE, `a citizen of the lUnited States, residing at flellwood, in the county of Indiana and State of Pennsylvania, has invented certain new and useful improvements in tlwatters, of which the following is a specification.

rllhis invention relates to improvements in swatters and comprises a base structure having a relatively fixed upright swatting element adjacent to one end thereof rising above a trough for receiving files, ants or other insects killed by the swatter. Mounted on this base is a channeled bar upon which is slidingly mounted a movable swatting element which is held in a position re mote from the fixed swatting element by means of a trigger in the channel and is drawn over to contact the fixed swatter when released from the trigger, by means of an elastic element such as a rubber band. The fixed sn'atting element carries a spring ele ment which causes the movable element to rebound from the fixed element immediately after striking it so as to maintain the elements in a separated relation.

Further details and objects of the invention will appear as described in connection with the accompanying drawings and hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specication, like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the four figures, in which,-

lfigure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a swatter constructed in accordance with this invention,

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

lfigure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Figure 1, and

Figure -t is a fragmental sectional view of a slightly modified construction.

Referring to the drawings, the base member, designated generally by the reference numeral 10, is preferably made from a blank stamped out of sheet metal and bent to shape so as to form a horizontal base portion 11 formed at one end with a supporting member 12 extending above and below the base. A t the other end of the base the blank is bent to form a trough 13 and 'then extends upwardly as a fixed swatting element 14.

'lhe supporting member 12 is recessed at 15 and the swatter 14 is apertured at 16 for receiving and removably supporting a channel member 17. rllhis member has a projection 18 and a pair rof hook extensions.

. 19whiclrsecureit `in the aperture 16, and at its other end it has a Acomplemental recess 2O which engages the support 12 at the bottom of recess 15. l

@n the outside of swatter 14 are secured a semi-circular channeled guide member 21, a spring 22 which i projects inwardly through the'aperture 16, and a brush holder 23 for supporting a small brush 24.

Slidingly mounted on the channel member 17 is a movable swatter element 25 which i may be `made of wire mesh or, as shown, of sheet'metal and perforated if desired. This member has a guide sleeve 2G extending from it which engages the channel member and supports the swatter 25 so that the faces of `the two swatting elements are always substantially parallel. Extending upwardly into the channel is a hook 27 to which is. secured an elastic member 28 by means of a hook 29, and by means of a similar hook 30, it is fastened in a recess 21, thereby it is held under tension in the channels 17 and 21.

The channel, adjacent to its free end is provided with a trigger member 31 which has a catch 32 normally projecting up through an aperture in the channel 17 and adapted to engage in a similar aperture in the sleeve 26 on the member 25. A handle 33 on the swatter 25 forms a convenient means for drawing it back so that it will be eno-aged by the catch 32.

in using the trap it will be readily understood that the inner surfaces of the swatting elements and portion of the base or channel 17 may be coated with material which will attract flies and other insects. The swatter 25 is set so as to be held by the trigger 31 and the device positioned in a suitable place. When insects alight between the members 14 and 25, the trigger can be operated so as to release the swatter 25; the elastic member 28 will immediately operate the swatter 25, and upon striking member 111 spring 22 will cause it 'to rebound leaving a space between the two swatting members and allow the insects to fall into the trough; swatter member 25 is shown in dotted lines, in the position it will assume after operation. If any flies should stick to the swatters instead of falling into the trough, the brush 24 may be used for removing them without soiling the hands.

-Figure l discloses a slightly modied form, in which the periphery of channel 21 is provided with a series of notches 21". In this form the elastic member 28 may be an ordinary rubber band secured in any of the notches 21 and then passed through the aperture at the end of channel 21'; thus the tension of the elastic member may be readily adjusted.

It is understood that this invention is not limited to the specic embodiments herein before shown and described for the purpose of illustration, but may be constructed in various other forms within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed as the invention and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the character described, a relatively fixed member, a movable member adapted to strike said fixed member, means for moving said striking member `into engagement with the fixed member, and means for causing said striking member to rebound a short distance immediately after engagement with said fixed member.

2. A swatter comprising a base member, having a trough at one end, a relatively fixed swatting member extending upwardly above the trough, a movable swatting element mounted above the base adapted to strike $0 the first named swatting member, means for moving said striking member into engagement with the fixed member, means for causing said striking member to rebound a short distance immediately after engagement with said xed member, and means for releasably holding the movable member adjacent to the end of the base member remote from the ixed member.

3. A swatter comprising a relatively fixed swatting member having a guide extending from one side thereof and a movable swatting element mounted on said guide, and a second guide element on the other side of said fixed member carrying an elastic member which extends through the first named guide and is connected with the striking' member for operating it.

4. A swatter including a pair of swatting members and an elastic element connected to one and passing through the other for drawing the members into engagement, and a guide for said elastic element on the back of the second swatting element to which the elastic element is connected having a plurality of notches for receiving the end of the elastic element for adjusting the tension thereof.

In testimony whereof he aiiixes his signature.

WILLIAM I. CROYLE. 

